It’s a GREAT day to be a Minerva Lion! 🦁✨

Mrs. Holderbaum’s MHS English Reader’s Workshop class tackled the **Bookface Challenge**, and wow—it was so much tougher than it looks! Our students got creative, paid attention to every tiny detail, and had an absolute blast bringing these book covers to life. 📖📸

Huge congratulations to our **Gold Star Photo Winners** for their incredible alignment and creativity! 🌟🏆

Keep turning those pages and shining bright, Lions!

#MinervaPride

🦁 LNN Episode 3 Highlights! 🎥

Catch up on this week’s Lion News Network recap! Here’s what’s happening around the den:

🏐 Athlete Spotlight: Congrats to Jenna Dowell (Athlete of the Week) and Aya on reaching 1,000 career digs!

🏆 Sports Updates: Girls Golf took the Tri-County title by 42 shots! Cross Country swept top spots at Seneca, and Volleyball kept their win streak alive.

👑 Homecoming 2026: Congratulations to our 2026 Fall Homecoming Court!

💡 Freshman Advice: Seniors shared top tips—get involved early, talk to counselors, and ask for help when you need it!

🌍 Clubs: Cultural Explorers (formerly Travel Club) is accepting new members in Room 107.

🍕 Homeroom Showdown: Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament kicks off this week—winner gets Domino's pizza!

🏈 GAME DAY ALERT: Friday football rival match at home against Alliance! Theme: Suit Up 👔

Go Lions! 🦁💙

📺 Watch the full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulK4Ztbryb0

🦁 Minerva Girls Cross Country Ranked Number #1 in Ohio OHSAA Division Three State Coaches Poll this week! Boys ranked #11! Go Lions!!

⭐Congratulations to the 2026 Minerva Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees! 🏆🦁

We look forward to celebrating your legacy and achievements this weekend! Thank you for making Minerva proud.

Go Lions! #MinervaPride ⭐

🦁 Every Child, Every Minute, Every Day It is a Great Day to be a MHS Lion! #MinervaPride

🦁 Minerva Local staff recently completed the “I Hear You” training to better support student and staff mental health! ✨ This program equips our team to: • Start important conversations • Spot warning signs in others and themselves • Connect people with vital resources • Encourage early support Every Child. Every Minute. Every Day. ❤️

🦁❤️ It is a GREAT Day to be a Minerva Lion! ❤️🦁 🏐 MHS Varsity Volleyball Defeats Malvern in Three Sets! 🏐 JV Volleyball Wins in Two Sets! ❤️ Volley for a Cure ❤️ Last evening was a great night of volleyball and community support! Donations and support were made to Minerva Local Hope, a wonderful organization that supports local women fighting cancer. Thank you to everyone who helped make this special evening possible! WAY TO GO, LADY LIONS! 🦁❤️🏐 Go Lions! #MinervaPride

‼️ 🔔 🦁 SECTIONAL CHAMPS! 🦁 🔔 ‼️ ⛳️ Minerva Girls Golf are Sectional Champions! 🏆 It may have been a cold and rainy day at Cambridge Country Club, but that didn’t slow down the Lions! Minerva battled through the conditions and put together an outstanding team performance, posting a 342 to capture the Sectional Championship. The Lions’ top four scores were all among the top 10 individual scores of the day, with Tempi adding the team’s fifth score and finishing 18th overall. It was a tremendous effort from the entire team, and they now move on to the District Tournament next Monday! Congratulations, Lions! 🦁❤️⛳️🏆 It’s a GREAT day to be a Minerva Lion! #MinervaPride #GoLions

🦁❤️ It’s a GREAT day to be a Minerva Lion! The MES Kindergarten Team had some fun on Friday wearing shirts featuring their very own kindergarten pictures! 📸 The pictures had been displayed in the hallway, where students and staff were encouraged to guess who matched with each photo! What a fun way to celebrate our Kindergarten Team and bring back some great memories! ❤️ GO MES KINDERGARTEN! 🦁❤️ Forever Kindergarten! ❤️

🏆 🦁IT’S A GREAT DAY TO BE A MINERVA LION! What an incredible day for Minerva Cross Country at the Boardman Spartan Invitational! 🏆 🏆 GIRLS — 1ST PLACE OUT OF 25 TEAMS! Our girls battled some of the top-ranked teams in the state and came out on top! 🥇 Tateum Richard — 4th Place, 19:41 🥈 Charlie Galley — 8th Place, 20:06 🥉 Addison Keyser — 9th Place, 20:09 🏆 BOYS — 2ND PLACE OUT OF 34 TEAMS! The Lions battled in a super competitive race featuring nearly 400 runners and came away with an incredible 2nd-place finish! 🥇 Anderson Scott — 9th Place, 16:53 🥈 Fox Johnson — 25th Place, 17:30 🥉 Zach Norris — 30th Place, 17:38 Way to fight, compete, and represent Minerva! We are so proud of both teams! ❤️🦁 GO, LIONS! 🏆🦁❤️ #MinervaPride

🦁 📣 Minerva Team Sparkle Performed with MHS Cheer Tonight! We are proud of you all! 🦁 It is a Great Day to be a Minerva Lion!

🦁 MHS Varsity Football fought for all four quarters tonight but fell to the Alliance Aviators. Great effort, Lions! We are proud of you! ❤️🩶 A special shoutout to the Pride of Minerva Marching Band for another awesome performance! 🎶🥁 Great job, MHS Cheer! 📣 🏈 We’re back home next week! 🏈 The Lions take on Salem, and we’ll also celebrate the MHS Class of 2026 Athletic Hall of Fame! Come out and support your Lions! 🦁 #MinervaPride #GoLions

🦁 It is a Great Day to be a Minerva Lion!! 🦁 👑 Congratulations to our 2026 Fall Homecoming King & Queen! 👑 👑 King: Kaden Knappenberger 👑 Queen: Delaney Sell We are so proud of all of our Homecoming Court members! 👑 2026 FALL HOMECOMING COURT 👑 Congratulations to our Homecoming Court: • Leah Bess & Kaden Knappenberger • Alexis Bryan & Bailey Price • Faith Lehigh & Jason Sivy • Delaney Sell & Sam Speelman • Callie Yeagley & Kellen Troyer What an amazing evening at Robert Hines Stadium celebrating our Lions! 🦁🏈 Congratulations to all! 👑 #MinervaPride

🎬 LNN Episode 3 Spectacular is LIVE! 🦁✨

Catch up on everything happening around Minerva High School:

🏐 Athlete Spotlights: Volleyball's Athlete of the Week, Jenna Dowell, & Aya's incredible 1,000th career dig!

📣 2026 Fall Homecoming Court Announcement

💡 Freshman Advice: Seniors share what they wish they knew on Day 1

🏆 Full Sports Roundup: Girls Golf Tri-County victory, Cross Country highlights, and upcoming home games

🍕 Homeroom Rock-Paper-Scissors Tournament: Details on who wins free Domino's!

📲 Watch the full episode now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn86B7IDYwQ

#MinervaLions

It is a Great Day to be a Minerva Lion! 🦁 Congratulations to our MHS Varsity Golf Seniors! We are so proud of you and all you have accomplished throughout your golf careers! Congratulations on a great career, and best wishes for the remainder of your senior year and in all you do beyond Minerva High School! 🏌️ Parker 🏌️ Benjamin 🏌️ Brady 🏌️ Maverick Go Lions! 🦁 #MinervaPride

Minerva Local Schools today announced it has earned an overall rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars on the 2025–2026 Ohio District Report Card, released by the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce (ODEW). The results place the District firmly above State expectations, just 0.062 points shy of a 4-star rating.

The State's evaluation system uses a 3-star benchmark to indicate that a district has met State standards. Minerva Local Schools met or exceeded these expectations across most rated areas, highlighted by key growth in academic achievement, graduation rates, early literacy, and student attendance.

2025–2026 District Performance Ratings
Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars
Gap Closing: 5 Stars (Significantly exceeds State standards)
Graduation Rate: 5 Stars (Up from 4 stars)
Achievement: 4 Stars (Up from 3 stars)
Progress: 2 Stars
College, Career, Workforce, and Military Readiness: 3 Stars
Early Literacy: 3 Stars (Up from 2 stars)

In addition to its district-wide performance, Minerva Middle School earned a 4.5-star overall rating! The district also posted major gains in attendance, cutting its chronic absenteeism rate nearly in half from 16.6% down to 8.5%.

The district’s Performance Index score rose to 90.1 (up from 87.5 last year). Students exceeded the state average in 17 of 20 assessed testing categories, earning very high rankings in Grade 8 Math, Grade 6 Math, English II, 6th–8th Grade ELA, 4th Grade Math, 7th Grade Math, 5th Grade Math, and Geometry.

"I am incredibly proud to be a Minerva Lion," said Superintendent Mark Scott. "Our five-star Gap Closing score, graduation rating, and significant drop in chronic absenteeism reflect the tremendous work happening across every building. While the State report card is just one measuring point of what we do, it speaks directly to the commitment of our staff, students, and families to our mission: Every Child, Every Minute, Every Day."

Andrew Burman, Chief Academic Officer, emphasized the momentum shown in critical academic areas. "Earning five stars in Graduation Rate and moving up to four stars in Achievement and three stars in Early Literacy shows clear progress aligned to our District goals," said Burman. "We are already using this data to both celebrate our bright spots and target opportunities for growth."

The report card again noted Minerva's financial efficiency. The District achieved high academic outcomes while spending $11,331 per pupil, compared to Ohio’s State average of $13,065 per pupil.

View the Full Report:
Community members can view the complete report card by visiting the ODEW Report Card Portal at reportcard.education.ohio.gov

🦁 ⛳️ Minerva Girls Golf Wins Three EBC Championships in a row! EBC Champions! 🏆 The Minerva Lions girls golf team had a day for the record books at Pleasant View Golf Course to capture their third consecutive Eastern Buckeye Conference Tournament championship. Minerva claimed first place with an impressive overall team score of 341, finishing 41 strokes ahead of runner-up West Branch. Junior Peyton Beaumariage led the field as tournament medalist with an individual low round of 77. The Lions demonstrated deep lineup strength, with Emery Sell carding an 85 (3rd overall), Delaney Sell posting an 88 (4th overall), and Savanna Bartley firing a 91 (T-8th overall) to round out the team's top four scorers. Tempi Muck (99) and Molly Fetty (106) also turned in solid performances for Minerva. The Lions will look to carry their tournament momentum into postseason play as they head to Sectionals on Monday. Team Leaderboard: 1st: Minerva— 341 2nd: West Branch— 382 3rd (tie): Marlington— 384 3rd (tie): Alliance— 384 5th: Carrollton— 426

🦁 ⛳️ Lions Win 3rd Straight EBC Tournament Title The Minerva Lions boys golf team secured their third consecutive Eastern Buckeye Conference Tournament championship at Pleasant View Golf Course. After tying Carrollton with matching team scores of 336, Minerva won on a rare sixth-card tiebreaker (93 to 95). Wil Blackburn led Minerva with an 80, followed by Tyson Fetty (82), Hudson Peterson (86), and Parker Linkous (88). Crucial 93s from Benjamin Smith and Brookx Peterson ultimately secured the tiebreak win. Despite Minerva's tournament victory, Carrollton clinched the overall EBC championship title by one point due to an undefeated dual-match season, leaving Minerva second in the final conference standings. Tournament Results: 1st: Minerva — 336 2nd: Carrollton — 336 3rd: Alliance — 357 4th: Marlington — 367 5th: West Branch — 384 6th: Salem — 406

👑 2026 FALL HOMECOMING COURT 👑

Congratulations to our Homecoming Court!

Leah Bess & Kaden Knappenberger
Alexis Bryan & Bailey Price
Faith Lehigh & Jason Sivy
Delaney Sell & Sam Speelman
Callie Yeagley & Kellen Troyer

Join us Friday as we celebrate our Homecoming Court and crown our 2026 Homecoming King & Queen before the Lions take on Alliance! 🦁🏈

📸 Photographs compliments of Dunlap Photography #minervapride

🦁 🚨 Tri-County League Champs 🚨 🦁 🏆 The girls came home with the Blue Division Trophy for 1st place and the Tournament Trophy for 1st place. 🥇 Peyton brought home 1st place out of 86 girls. She is also bringing home a trophy for being Tri-County player of the year. 🏅 Our top four players, Peyton, Emery, Delaney and Savanna took 1st Team and Tempi took 2nd Team. Way to go ladies!!! 🎉